MK (National Union) Effie Eitam, a political hawk, has signaled he does not plan to make the move to the new right-wing bloc, exhibiting a desire to join the Likud Party headed by opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu.

The current faction, National Union and National Religious Party, is actually a compilation of four smaller parties. This union is coming to an end as the NRP is fighting for survival, with the dati leumi representation in Knesset waning off the map.

When Eitam left the IDF at the rank of brigadier-general, he was gave a new hope to the dati leumi camp, a senior shomer Shabbos combat officer, leaving the post of Commander of Galil Forces. During his career, he also served as commander of the prestigious Sayeret Golani reconnaissance unit. Today, many in the NRP blame Eitam [and Rabbi Yitzchak Levy] and his [their] hawkish views for bringing the NRP down.

During recent weeks, Eitam has been telling colleagues that he plans to move to Likud. The newly forming party he feels in too focused on the national religious population and does not offer a wide enough voter base – ignoring the patriotic non-frum voter.

Eitam was declined when he asked party leader Binyamin Netanyahu to guarantee him a slot on the lineup, and now, it appears veteran Likudniks are less than pleased with his announced intentions, stating his hawkish views will be detrimental to the party, which is seeking to exhibit a centrist right-wing political platform. This opposition to his joining supports Likud opponents on the right, who claim the party which was once the proud child of Menachem Begin and the ideology of Ze’ev Jabotinsky today represents nothing to the right of the other major parties.

Eitam’s partner, Prof. Aryeh Eldad, also plans to go his own way, opting not to join the now-forming right-wing entity, and he plans to announce the formation of a new right-wing secular party.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)